WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL D - NICARAGUA VS ISRAEL

March 12, 2023

Sandor Guido

LoanDepot Park

Team Nicaragua

Pregame Press Conference

Israel 3, Nicaragua 1

Q. It was tough, Sandor, right, to lose with your best pitcher. What are you thinking at that point in time?

SANDOR GUIDO: Six outs away from victory with our best pitcher, with the best man on the team, the best reliever from the New York Yankees. Things in baseball, you know, things that happen, and we cannot regret anything. We followed the game plan. The things were going well. The best man came in, and he couldn't finish the job.

Q. At some point in time after Teller, did you think about leaving him on the mound because of the job he was doing, or you just decided we're going bring Jonathan?

SANDOR GUIDO: We have a plan. We have a game plan. He is limited to two innings. Jonathan is the best. I don't think no one would have any doubt of bringing in Jonathan. There's nothing to speculate about.

Q. After today's result, what plans do you have for the game tomorrow? We know that you are facing maybe the strongest team tomorrow.

SANDOR GUIDO: We're going to continue competing, continue working. We're not going to give up. We are going to try to win all the games. This tournament everyone knew that it was going to be tough. Israel is not a smaller team than the others. They can beat any other team. They have talent. They have a high-quality team, and they have showed that, and we're going to play Dominican Republic.

They are strong, but we are going to continue competing, we're going to continue applying our plan.

Q. Tomorrow you are going to face Cristian Javier, one of the best Dominican starters today. What are you thinking about that?

SANDOR GUIDO: Again, we're going to compete again. We're going to have a game plan. We're going to continue working. Erasmo is ready to pitch tomorrow, to do his job. At that time we will continue applying the plan we have put together.

If we have the opportunity, Jonathan is going to pitch again in the last game, I believe. So there is nothing to regret.

Q. I cannot say congratulations because it's another loss, but that's baseball. It is easy to second guess after the game, but you had your best man at the right time you needed.

SANDOR GUIDO: Exactly. The best man, leading 1-0. He was authorized to pitch two innings, and he was looking forward to helping the team and to show his country that he was able to contribute something, but things didn't go well for him.

Jonathan, I believe that he is feeling bad, but this is baseball, guys. We believe in him. He wanted to do his job. He couldn't make it, but we have to keep our heads up.

Q. You were close to Nicaragua's first victory in the Classic. What's the message you are going to pass on to the guys so that they are going to continue looking for the victory tomorrow?

SANDOR GUIDO: The same, you know. Baseball is so unpredictable that you have to try to turn the page. Nothing happens with that. We have our best man tomorrow. We will continue working hard. We had nothing to lose in this tournament, like I said yesterday. We arrived to the Classic with a lot of expectations.

Things are not going well, but I still believe that we are going to win a game. Against whom? I don't know, but something is going to happen.

Q. Who is the starter tomorrow?

SANDOR GUIDO: I'm going to speak with the coaches in a little bit, and we will decide as soon as possible.

Thank you.